November 1, 2006
Release courtesy of Larry Happel, Central College sports information director

PELLA, IOWA . . . After a highly successful 14-year run, Doug Stursma has resigned as Central College’s men’s and women’s tennis coach.

Stursma made the announcement at Tuesday night’s women’s tennis team awards banquet. In the next few months, Stursma and his wife Sandy are moving to Bella Vista, Ark. Athletics director Al Dorenkamp is beginning an immediate search so that a new coach can take over prior to the start of the men’s season in February.

A Pella native and a top amateur player, in 13 seasons as men’s tennis coach Stursma piloted the Dutch to Iowa Conference championships in 1996, 1999 and 2000 and to the program’s first NCAA Division III team tournament berth in 2001. He was named the Iowa Conference men’s tennis coach of the year three times (1996, 1999, 2000) and won the women’s coach of the year twice (1994, 2003).

In 14 seasons as women’s tennis coach, Stursma’s teams compiled a 106-74 dual meet record while he posted a 177-97 13-year men’s dual mark for a combined 283-171 (.623) record. During Stursma’s tenure, the Dutch never finished below third in the men’s conference tournament and were in the top four in 11 of 14 women’s tourneys.

Stursma’s players received CoSIDA Academic All-America honors four times (Ryan Murphy 1996, 1997, Jason Ford 2005, Nick Cochrane 2006).

“(Former athletics director) Ron Schipper knew what he was doing when he hired Doug Stursma to lead Central’s tennis program 13 years ago,” said Dorenkamp. “Doug has been a tremendous representative for our athletic department and Central College and an outstanding role model for our student-athletes. He has a love and a passion for tennis and for serving young people. We will greatly miss having him at Central.”

“It’s been an incredible journey,” Stursma said. “I’ve had a great opportunity to work with such outstanding young people. As I told the players (Tuesday) night, because of this experience I’ve had a better life. I’ve greatly enjoyed working not only with the players but also with the other coaches at Central and my fellow workers here. Everyone has been great.”

Cochrane, a four-time team MVP, all-conference performer and Central’s all-time winningest player, received an NCAA postgraduate scholarship and is now attending law school at the University of Iowa. He said Central players learned much from Stursma.

“I loved playing for him,” Cochrane said. “Everything he did made us better tennis players but more importantly, he preached character and how we represented ourselves. He made us better players and better persons. Winning was always secondary to representing ourselves with a lot of class on and off the court.”

Women’s soccer coach Rick Burns said the Dutch staff admires Stursma.

“Doug is a very effective coach,” Burns said. “He combines tennis savvy, experience and knowledge with the educational philosophy of a Division III program. He is a calm, composed and graceful man who communicates clearly, responds empathetically and gives students the time they need to help deal with their issues. We have been blessed to have him with us at Central.”

Among his personal highlights, Stursma said, was coaching his son Eric and his daughter Tracy. Eric Stursma was a four-time winner of the team’s Outstanding Sportsmanship Award and a co-captain in 2001 and 2002. Tracy Stursma Van Zante was a four-time all-Iowa Conference performer and a De Haan Team MVP Award winner and co-captain in 2004.

“Winning a conference championship was always a treat as well and the spring trips were a fun time,” Stursma said. “I’ve also enjoyed coaching outstanding players like Spencer Cox (1995-98) and Nick Cochrane (2003-06) and lots of great people in between.”

Stursma said he departs with the men’s and women’s programs well-positioned to continue as conference contenders.

“I feel like the program is going to continue to be solid,” he said. “The men’s team lost a lot to graduation last year but we’ve brought in some excellent freshman players and I see no reason why the team can’t continue to be in the top three in the conference. And the women’s team will have most of the players returning next fall, so I feel good about that.”

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